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Showing posts with label Agency Disclosure. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Agency Disclosure. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

We Now Offer Real Estate Brokerage Video Compliance Trainings & Certifications

Lieb Compliance is now offering real estate brokerage companies a private online portal with customized video compliance classes and certifications for their agents. Certifications include Fair Housing & Discrimination, Rentals (Tenant Protection Act of 2019), Agency Disclosure, Sexual Harassment Prevention and more.

To learn more visit www.realestatecompliancetraining.com 


Thursday, May 03, 2018

What You Need To Know About Using Dual Agent and Dual Agent With Designated Sales Agent

We never recommend a general form as each situation is unique and requires specific information. However, sometimes in our Agency Disclosure classes we do reference the Department of State's article called "Be Wary of Dual Agency". 

Being a Dual Agent means your fiduciary duties are compromised on the individual level. Further, it's a direct deal where the seller/landlord & buyer/tenant both knowingly waive the conflict of interest permitting you to have compromised loyalties in neither negotiating on behalf of either party to a transaction.

A Dual Agent form should only be used when you represent both the seller/landlord & buyer/tenant. Additionally, no other agents are involved from your brokerage firm or another brokerage firm. You can use Dual Agent if you have a listing & you are acting as a selling agent by procuring a client to the listing.

We always recommend that large brokerage companies select Advanced Consent to Dual Agent with Designated Agent when clients are okay with it. You never know who will find a buyer for your listing or who will have a listing for your buyer.

Monday, May 15, 2017

Agency 1 Hour ONLINE | Video Clip of CE Course Preview

Friday, March 31, 2017

JUST RELEASED | Agency 1 Hour ONLINE | Satisfies DOS Requirement | $5.00

This 1 hour Video CE course instructed by Andrew Lieb, Esq. was designed to be the ultimate refresher course on agency. Students will learn to select the appropriate agency forms for varying scenarios, how to translate agency terms into simple English in order to communicate with transacting parties, and how to properly fill-out the forms in compliance with New York license law.

This is a skills class where students can expect to perfect their agency disclosure abilities. In fact, agency disclosure skills are the most important skill for real estate salespersons today. Learn how to fulfill your license requirement, protect yourself from litigious clients and customers, and most importantly, how to leverage the law by making agency into a value add when offering your services to prospects.

This 1 credit CE course fulfills your NY continuing education requirement on the law of agency (except for new agents who must take 2 hours).

Special Price: $5.00

Friday, January 06, 2017

2016 SURVEY RESULTS ARE IN! Agency Disclosure ONLINE ranked BEST Real Estate CE



Nearly 100 NY Real Estate Agents concluded that Lieb School’s Agency Disclosure ONLINE CE course is the best real estate course on the market.

Surveys were conducted after each student completed the course. Below are some highlights: 
  • Best Instructor Ever.
  • Andrew is riveting and brilliant. A joy to watch and learn from.
  • Andrew can take a difficult to understand topic and make it easy to follow and comprehend.
  • Andrew Lieb is the only instructor that can keep me interested and awake when the content becomes boring. He is intelligent, well prepared, & entertaining. He is the only instructor for me.
  • I think Andrew Lieb is passionate and extremely knowledgeable. He makes an otherwise confusing subject easy to interpret and absorb!!!!
  • I loved the live interactions. Great sense of humor and outgoing personality made it interesting.
About The Course
  • THEEEEE BEST!!!!! Enough said. Period.
  • The best overall experience I've had. Thanks!
  • He breaks it into parts that makes so much sense, and keep you on your toes. No sleeping in this class@ :-) Even online, he makes it very interesting! 
  • I have had the opportunity to take this course in person and online and felt that this online format allowed me to better understand the subject. Particularly the section where you go through each possible way of filling out the form and what type of agency makes sense for what type of consumer. I feel more knowledgeable and confident with agency after completing this online course.
  • Was in the dark, now I see the light!!!!!!
  • This course exceeded my expectations and gave me a fresh perspective on the use of the Agency Disclosure form. I will be amending the way I present the form given the information I received and my improved understanding of the document.


Monday, October 03, 2016

Continuing Education Requirements for New York Licensed Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons

New York Real Estate Salespersons and Brokers are regulated by the Department of State, New York (DOS) and are required to complete 22.5 Continuing Education credits within a 2 year license renewal period.  License renewal dates can be found on the New York State Real Estate License (look for license expiration date). 

As of 01/01/2017, Licensed NY Real Estate Salespersons and Brokers must take the following Continuing Education courses in their renewal cycle:

  • 3 Hours of instruction pertaining to Fair Housing and/or Discrimination in the sale or rental of real property or an interest of real property
  • 2 Hours of Agency Disclosure for the initial two-year licensing term and at least 1 hour of Agency Disclosure in subsequent renewal cycles. 
If you are grandfathered in, the new continuing education requirements do not apply.  

  • Draw your attention to this paragraph "The provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to any licensed real estate broker who is engaged full time in the real estate business  and who has been licensed under this article prior to July first, two thousand eight for at least fifteen consecutive years immediately preceding such renewal."

In addition to the New York State Continuing Education requirements, member's of the National Association of REALTORS® are required to complete ethics training of not less than 2 hours, 30 minutes of instructional time within four-year cycles. The training must meet specific learning objectives and criteria established by the National Association of REALTORS®. The current cycle will end Dec. 31, 2016. 

Lieb School offers a license renewal package that satisfies ALL of the requirements above. 

Or you can purchase individual courses here:





Friday, September 23, 2016

Lieb School Launches 22.5 CE License Renewal Course Package | Online Video Classes | $99.00

NY Real Estate Continuing Education 22.5 Credit 

License Renewal Course Package 

(click for online classes preview - turn sound on)
Anywhere and anytime you can finish all 22.5 hours of real estate continuing education as long as you have internet access. Lieb School’s online license renewal package includes video, audio and interactivity to get the job done without making you want to gouge your eyeballs out. Satisfies Department of State, New York Real Estate Continuing Education Requirements for License Renewal.

Courses include:

  • Deal Killers (3 CE Credits)
  • Conflicts of Interest (3 CE Credits)
  • Agency Disclosure (8 CE Credits)
  • Divorce Deals (4.5 CE Credits)
  • Fair Housing Act (4 CE Credits)
The first course in this package is Deal Killers, where you will learn how to comprehensively negotiate a deal with substance and understand how to lock in your commission through creating a paper trail proving that you addressed substantially all of the essential terms of the transaction while negotiating the deal. Next, Conflicts of Interest will teach you the role of each player in a transaction and how to avoid an ethical claim that can otherwise ruin your career. Following, you will learn the whole enchilada about agency disclosure including an easy to follow 12 scenario explanation of which form to give and when. After you have mastered how to fill out the agency disclosure forms, Divorce Deals will show you how to navigate through all of the complexities of selling a marital residence and share with you interesting insights of what your clients are going through during their divorce process. Last but certainly not least, after completing the Fair Housing Act course, you will learn the nationwide standard for anti-discrimination laws in residential housing and how to perform your job while avoiding lawsuits, which New York State is actively pursuing against real estate brokers today.

After trying Lieb School’s ONLINE classes, you will never want online education from any other provider. Lieb School’s leading distance education combines the latest interactive technology, license law education and continuing edutainment.

Each course includes a video from a live classroom setting that was instructed by premiere lecturer Andrew Lieb, Esq. Content is thereafter broken down in order to simplify the learning experience so that students can absorb our field’s complex materials without being overwhelmed.

*Prices Subject to change
** Must complete the courses 6 months from the date you registered


CLICK HERE TO REGISTER






Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Real Estate Brokerage - Major Change to Continuing Education Requirements - Agency Disclosure REQUIRED

On September 9, 2016 Governor Cuomo signed into law a major change to the continuing education requirements for real estate brokers, associate real estate brokers and real estate salespersons.

The new requirement reads as follows:
"[A]t least one hour of instruction pertaining to the law of agency except in the case of the initial two-year licensing term for real estate salespersons, two hours of agency related instruction must be completed"

This act takes effect on January 1, 2017.

The stated purpose of the Bill is:
"The bill amends the real property law to require two hours of agency related coursework in the licensee's initial two-year licensing term as part of the 22 1/2 hours of continuing education required for renewal of a real estate license in New York. In subsequent license terms one hour of agency related coursework will be required."

The justification for the Bill is:
"Understanding the agency relationship created between buyers/sellers, landlords/tenants and the real estate professional representing them during the real estate transaction is essential.

There are many real estate professionals and consumers who are often confused by the agency relationships created during the real estate transaction. At various points in time there may be several different agency relationships created, terminated or changed from first encounter to the closing table. Understanding what fiduciary duties are owed, the proper use of the agency disclosure form, and the ability to successfully represent clients in various forms of agency relationships such as buyer/tenant agency, seller/landlord agency and dual agency are critical for consumer protection."

Fulfill the requirement at Lieb School with our Agency Disclosure ONLINE course TODAY

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Saving on Real Estate Brokerage Commission

You may think that you can save money in real estate by not using a Buyer’s Agent. On the contrary, it is often argued that there is no savings because the secondary benefits of using a Buyer’s Agent surpass any costs of such a Buyer’s Agent. Nonetheless, the only factor that can actually save you money in brokerage commission in a real estate transaction is if it’s a Direct Deal.

Read the full article by Andrew Lieb, Esq. here.

Monday, May 16, 2016

Agency Disclosure Simplified - A Must Read

Finally, an article that simplifies this extremely complicated agency disclosure topic.

Buyer’s Agent. Seller’s Agent. Direct Deal. The terms may sound familiar, but do you or your clients or customers really know what they mean? That knowledge is essential for all sides in real estate dealings, particularly in understanding commissions and not violating license laws.



Thursday, June 11, 2015

Agency Disclosure - Free Lieb School Continuing Education Class on 7/16/15 at Newsday in Melville

Course: Agency Disclosure

Instructor: Andrew Lieb, Esq

Date: July 16th, 2015 at Newsday in Melville

Course Summary: Every broker must send their agents to this continuing education course to learn Agency Disclosure.
This course will answer the maddening questions that are always in the back of every real estate agent’s mind in brokerage:  How do I fill out the form? Who do I work for? How can I get both sides of the deal? Can the Department of State fine me if I mess this up? Why does my broker care so much? Does this affect my commission? How about my license?
You will learn the whole enchilada about agency from disclosure in the presence of another broker to disclosure by electronic means to disclosure at an open house to disclosure when your client / customer refuses to sign the form, and so much more.  You will be familiarized with the applicable statute, the relevant regulation, court cases that decipher your duties and DOS Administrative Decisions that fine violators. This course even includes a skills component where you will learn how to fill out the Agency Disclosure Form in every possible scenario. Finally, you will get it right.  It’s mandatory to practice Agency Disclosure and after taking this course, you will.
CE Credits: 3
To Register: Login to Your Lieb School Account and Click "Enroll" or "Join Waiting List"

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Agency Disclosure - Free CE on 8/14 in Hauppauge


Instructor: Andrew Lieb

Sponsor: Citibank

Credits: 3

Cost: Free

Every broker must send their agents to this continuing education course to learn Agency Disclosure.

This course will answer the maddening questions that are always in the back of every real estate agent’s mind in brokerage: How do I fill out the form? Who do I work for? How can I get both sides of the deal? Can the Department of State fine me if I mess this up? Why does my broker care so much? Does this affect my commission? How about my license?

You will learn the whole enchilada about agency from disclosure in the presence of another broker to disclosure by electronic means to disclosure at an open house to disclosure when your client / customer refuses to sign the form, and so much more. You will be familiarized with the applicable statute, the relevant regulation, court cases that decipher your duties and DOS Administrative Decisions that fine violators. This course even includes a skills component where you will learn how to fill out the Agency Disclosure Form in every possible scenario. Finally, you will get it right. It’s mandatory to practice Agency Disclosure and after taking this course, you will.

Seats fill up quickly.  Click Here To Enroll



Tuesday, April 08, 2014

Fredrik’s Fiduciary Duty – Million Dollar Listing New York

Fredrik Eklund: Photo http://www.bravotv.com/


Spoiler Alert: The below is a legal analysis of Fredrik Eklund's role in the April 2, 2014 Season 3, Episode 1 of Million Dollar Listing New York.

The premier of this season of Million Dollar Listing New York, The City Will Eat You Alive, places Douglas Elliman's Fredrik Eklund, in an ethical quandary and he comes out looking as professional as ever while making the deal for his client and getting a commission along the way.

In the episode, "Fredrik lands his dream listing, only to find out that the seller may be his worst nightmare". The Seller is a micromanager; sound familiar? He knows what he wants, $9.5M, and he makes it clear that he doesn't want to be bothered for anything less. However, Fredrik got an offer of $8M.

What should he do?

As a Licensed Real Estate Salesperson in the State of New York, an agent can have one of five types of agency with differing corresponding Fiduciary Duties dependent on the applicable agency type, to wit:


  1. Seller's Agent
  2. Buyer's Agent
  3. Dual Agent
  4. Dual Agent with Designated Sales Agent
  5. Broker's Agent


An agency relationship means the duties of a licensed individual in representing the interests of its principal in this context. Here, Fredrik was clearly a Seller's Agent, as his interests were aligned with the Seller; he was trying to get the Seller the most possible money in the transaction. In fact, the Agency Disclosure Form in the State of New York, states as to a Seller's Agent, the following: "A seller's agent does this by securing a buyer for the seller's home at a price and on terms acceptable to the seller". Conversely in the situation displayed in the episode, where Fredrik was receiving the $8M offer at the restaurant, Fredrik was meeting with a Buyer's Agent who had previously viewed the property at a Broker's Open House. The Buyer's Agent was clearly aligned with the Buyer's interests, offering a significantly lower number than the Ask. In fact, the Agency Disclosure Form in the State of New York, states as to a Buyer's Agent, the following: "The buyer's agent does this by negotiating the purchase of a home at a price and on terms acceptable to the buyer". As a result, in the episode, the Buyer's Agent owed his Fiduciary Duties to the Buyer and Fredrik, the Seller's Agent, owed his Fiduciary Duties to the Seller.

To clarify, a Buyer's Agent and a Seller's Agent cannot work at the same brokerage company by operation of New York State Law. Instead, where two agents at the same company work an In-House Deal, representing the interests of different parties to the transaction, that type of agency is called a Dual Agent with Designated Sales Agent in New York State. However, where an agent represents the interest of the Seller and a different agent represents the interest of the Buyer there are two possible types of agency that can apply, with the dispositive factor as to the appropriate agency being whether the opposing agents work at the same brokerage company. If the agents work at the same brokerage company, the agency is called a Dual Agent with Designated Sales Agent. If the agents work at different brokerage companies, one agent would be the Seller's Agent and one agent would be the Buyer's Agent, which is the situation Fredrik was engaged in during this episode.

In a Dual Agent with Designated Sales Agent situation the agents have compromised Fiduciary Duties because they both report to the same supervisor. In fact, the New York State Agency Disclosure Form states, as to this conflict, the following: "The designated sales agent must explain that like the dual agent under whose supervision they function, they cannot provide undivided loyalty". Yet, Fredrik was a Seller's Agent, and as such, had the following Fiduciary Duties to his client, the Seller, including: (1) Confidentiality; (2) Obedience; (3) Loyalty; (4) Accountability; (5) Disclosure; and (6) Reasonable Care.

Which Fiduciary Duties were at play in the scenario faced by Fredrik when he received an $8M offer while his client didn't want to hear about anything below $9.5M?

Fredrik had two competing Fiduciary Duties in this scenario, one to be obedient to his Client's instructions and one to give full disclosure to his Client. So, on the one hand Fredrik had to listen to his client's direction to not bother him absent a full Ask offer, but on the other hand, Fredrik lacked the authority to reject the $8M offer without his Client's authority, which first required him to fully disclose the offer to his Client.

So what happened?

Fredrik chose right and advised his client of the offer in the face of knowing all the while that he was going to be lambasted for making the call. To know that Fredrik's decision was correct an agent only needs to do a Cost / Benefit Analysis of the choices. The worst case scenario in telling your client that they received an offer below the Ask is that they are unhappy and give you grief about wasting their time. However, the worst case scenario in not disclosing an offer to your Client is that the Client claims that you breached your Fiduciary Duties and makes a complaint to the Department of State charging you with a License Law Violation. In fact, the Department of State has previously suspended a real estate agent's license for a period of six months for failing to transmit an offer and also failing to provide an agency disclosure form in a matter called Lemcke v. Department of State. So, it seems like a rather simple choice for a real estate agent faced with this predicament.

In Million Dollar Listing the choice was not only the safest, but the best for the agent and the Client as well. You see, by making the call and engaging his principal, the Seller, Fredrik initiated a dialogue that resulted in a deal at $8.8M. A win for the Seller, Buyer and the agents involved.


Tuesday, March 04, 2014

Lieb School Expands to Long Island City

Lieb School now offers free continuing education courses in Queens. The first course will be held on May 2nd in the iconic Citigroup Building in Long Island City. For more information visit www.liebschool.com 

Agency Disclosure
Credits: 3
Instructor: Andrew Lieb, Esq. 

Every broker must send their agents to this continuing education course to learn Agency Disclosure.
This course will answer the maddening questions that are always in the back of every real estate agent’s mind in brokerage:  How do I fill out the form? Who do I work for? How can I get both sides of the deal? Can the Department of State fine me if I mess this up? Why does my broker care so much? Does this affect my commission? How about my license?
You will learn the whole enchilada about agency from disclosure in the presence of another broker to disclosure by electronic means to disclosure at an open house to disclosure when your client / customer refuses to sign the form, and so much more.  You will be familiarized with the applicable statute, the relevant regulation, court cases that decipher your duties and DOS Administrative Decisions that fine violators. This course even includes a skills component where you will learn how to fill out the Agency Disclosure Form in every possible scenario. Finally, you will get it right.  It’s mandatory to practice Agency Disclosure and after taking this course, you will.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Agency Disclosure Forms

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Sex Offenders & Disclosure Obligation of Real Estate Agents

While teaching agency disclosure, I was recently questioned about the duty of a seller's agent to disclose to prospective purchaser customers whether a sex offender lived in the subject Condominium.

The agent made inquiry pursuant to Real Property Law 443(4)(a) where the statute requires a seller's agent to "disclose all facts known to the agent materially affecting the value or desirability of property, except as otherwise provided by law."

The agent's point was that a sex offender's presence would lower the "desirability of property", if not the "value" of the Condominium unit. It was a good point that the agent made and it stumped me. So I said that I would check some law and let everyone know the answer on this blog.

Here goes - The closest case on point is Glazer v. LoPreste. Therein, a home purchaser sued the seller and real estate agents stating that the seller and agents fraudulently misrepresented that the home was a good place to raise children and concealed the existence of sex offenders in the neighborhood. The Appellate Division (2nd highest Court in the State) held (decided) that there was no rightful claim under these circumstances and dismissed the case.

Glazer is differentiated from the facts presented in that Glazer involved allegations of an affirmative misrepresentation whereas the facts presented only involved a failure of a duty to disclose. However, Glazer involved a sex offender in the neighborhood whereas the question presented involved one living within the same Condominium, which appears to be a heightened situation. Nonetheless, it seems safe for a real estate agent not to disclose the existence of a sex offender in this facts presented because, as the Court stated in Glazer, "the information was not 'peculiarly within the knowledge of the seller or unlikely to be discovered by a prudent purchaser exercising due care with respect to the subject transaction'".

Stated otherwise, the Glazer decision seems to limit the obligations for a real estate agent to disclose to facts that are not generally known nor easily discovered through due care. Meaning, why didn't the purchaser check the sex offender registry for himself?

So, agents, while there is no license law opinion directly on point, it appears that Glazer, while not addressing license law compliance and section 443(4)(a) expressly, would make nondisclosure permissible.